Contents

General Information

Perhaps one of his most iconic powers, Sword Kirby wears a long green hat similar to Link from The Legend of Zelda series and wields a sword. Beyond its design, the Sword ability is often easily accessed, as Kirby can get it from a wide array of enemies in each game. Notable sword-yielding enemies include Sword Knight, Blade Knight, and Heavy Knight. Usually Meta Knight offers Kirby a sword before the boss battle and will not start fighting him until it is taken.

In earlier Kirby games, Sword Kirby's moveset is limited to a basic horizontal swipe. However, in more recent games, Sword Kirby is capable of using more advanced swordplay techniques, sometimes including Final Cutter, one of Cutter's primary attacks.

Kirby jumps in the air and does a flip, then he falls, sword outstretched. This move comes from Cutter, but the first two slashes are removed. This skill is not available in any game where the move is in Cutter's arsenal.

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N/A

N/A

Sword Spin

Dash + B/Y/1 in midair

B in midair

Kirby swings the sword quickly in midair, damaging all enemies that come into contact with it.

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12

12

Chop/Chop & Thrust

B/Y/1 (midair)

Kirby thrusts the sword at the enemy, doing damage and pushing Kirby back.

If Kirby holds out his sword for a prolonged period of time before striking an enemy, the sword will go through the enemy and Kirby will not be pushed back.

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22

16

Chop & beam/Sword Beam

B/Y/1 (at full health)

Kirby slashes and a sword beam comes out to damage enemies.

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16

16

Sword stab/Lunging Stab/Drill Stab

Dash + B/Y/1

Kirby lunges to stab his enemies. In other games, a similar move replaces the Slide.

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12 (1st hit), untested (2nd hit)

12 (1st hit), 10 (2nd hit)

Down air stab/Down Thrust

↓ + B (Midair)

Kirby thrusts his sword downwards and inflicts damage on any enemy unfortunate enough to be below him.

Kirby's Down Thrust works identically to Chop and Thrust, sharing the same ending animation and roughly the same damage.

Kirby's Down Thrust is executed identically to Meta Knight's; he drops straight down at a higher speed and is not pushed back by enemies after attacking.

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24

22 (sword), 16 (shockwave)

Up Thrust

↑ + B/Y/1

Meta Knight thrusts his sword upwards, inflicting heavy (

) or negligible (

) damage on any enemy unfortunate enough to be above him. This move cannot be used by Kirby without Master.

Kirby slams down on top of foes as if using Final Cutter. This move was most likely added as an "optional" move in Kirby's Return to Dream Land because Cutter's arsenal once again included Final Cutter.

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N/A

12 (dive hit not comboed), 10 (dive hit comboed), 32 (ground impact)

Twister Slash

Press and hold B and then release + ↑

Kirby charges up and unleashes a spin attack while jumping.

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N/A

Sky Energy Sword

Press and hold ↑ and then B

Kirby raises his sword over his head to charge it with energy. He then unleashes this energy as a ranged attack when he slashes.

The Robobot Armor performs a combo attack consisting of four chops forward and one final spinning move.

Electricity

Twin Saber Dance

↓ + B

The Robobot Armor drills downward with two beam blades.

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Kirby: Right Back at Ya!

Kirby using Sword Beam in the anime.

Along with Fighter, this is perhaps one of Kirby's most powerful melee abilities in the anime. It uses the same green hat, but the color of the blade itself is yellow-gold instead of silver or blue.

The ability retains several of its previous attacks, such as Spinning Sword, but also adds the powerful Sword Beam. Taught to him by Meta Knight, it is an attack that uses the limits of one's power in a huge blade of energy (if Kirby can clear his mind first). It cannot be blocked except for when Kracko used one his powerful lightning bolts to block it. Sword Kirby can also cause his sword to expand in size, but he only does that in one episode. It's also possible for the sword to be broken.

Similar to Sword is the Galaxia ability, which works the same way, only much more powerful (another difference is how the regular Sword Beam is white, but the Galaxia Sword Beam is green-yellow).

In the transformation sequence, Kirby spins and forms his hat, the tip of which then falls on his face. He straightens the hat and takes out his sword.

Transformation Sequence

Sword transformation English version

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Sword transformation Japanese version

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Appearances

Sword, along with Tornado and Ice, are the fourth most commonly seen copy abilities in the anime, with five appearances each. If Galaxia appearances are also counted, it would have seven appearances, making it the second most common ability in the anime. (for the purposes of this list, Sword and Galaxia are considered separate abilities)

The hats Kirby gets when copying Link, Young Link, and Toon Link look just like Sword Kirby's hat (but Kirby gets either a boomerang or a bow & arrow, and not a sword), though this is to be expected since Sword's hat is a reference to Link in the first place. Sword's version of Final Cutter is taken from these games.

Flavor Texts

Game

Flavor text

Use the sword to defeat enemies! If you attack in midair, Kirby will spin and slash!

The King of weapons! Fire beams from the tip of your sword. Become a master by practicing multi-sword attacks.

I can't lose with this sword! If they zig, I cut 'em! (If they zag, I cut 'em, too!)

CUT

You wield the king of blades! At full health, you shoot beams! Show your sword mastery!

Don a green hat and take sword in hand! Spin Slash! Do a Sword Dive as your finishing strike! It's all about the flourish.

The undisputed king of melee weapons. Drill Stab, Down Thrust, Spin Slash-- the list goes on. Finish with a Sword Dive, and then raise your blade to the heavens and let out a war cry!

Related Quotes

A Kirby ability made when Kirby inhales a sword-wielding foe or a sword itself. Doing so provides Kirby with a rapid sword slash, a jumping sword spin, or even the energy-beam blast of the Final Sword. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that this is the #1 Copy Ability in terms of accessibility.”

Trivia

Kirby's hat and the sword are direct references to Link, the main protagonist in The Legend of Zelda series. Despite this though, he instead gets the Boomerang when he copies Link in Super Smash Bros., and the Bow & Arrow when he copies him in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, since Kirby copies whatever his opponent's standard special is in that series.

Kirby can only shoot sword beams when he is at full health. This is also a direct reference to The Legend of Zelda series, as in various games, Link was able to shoot beams from his sword at full health.

The Spin Slash is a direct reference to the Spin Attack, a recurring sword technique in The Legend of Zelda series.

The Sky Energy Sword is a direct reference to the Skyward Strike in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. It functions similarly by the fact it involves pointing the sword upwards to charge in order to shoot beams of increased strength.

The Sword's current design also resembles the Master Sword in color and appearance.

Sword Kirby and the Blade Knight helper cannot normally use the upwards thrust. Meta Knight and Sword Knight can use the thrust, but those characters are only playable in certain sub-games in Kirby Super Star Ultra.

In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Kirby gains the ability to charge his blade and perform a spin attack and can also use an uppercut.

In the anime, Kirby gets the Sword ability from a sword-wielding Bugzzy, who only gives Backdrop or Suplex in the games, and from Kracko's sword-shaped lightning bolts, even though Kracko's lightning bolts cannot be inhaled in the games.

Kirby's yell is reminiscent of Young Link's from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

The flavor text for Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra calls the sword "the king of blades/weapons". This may be a further reference to The Legend of Zelda games, as Link's sword is called the Master Sword.